you'll thank me one day
by My5tic-Lali
Summary: Master had had the Sight for as long as he could remember. By the time it was time to gather the first of what were to be his apprentices, Master had gotten used to acting on instinct mingled with foreknowledge, so the moment he saw the boy Master knew to act. He had to take the chance while it was here./ How the Master of Masters met his apprentices. Set way before KH Back Cover
1. you'll thank me one day (Luxu)

(alternative title: connecting dots of a picture that doesn't exist

alternative alternative title: one day this'll all make sense, promise

alternative alternative alternative title: seeing the future ain't all that it's cracked up to be but i'm not about to tell anyone that)

* * *

One of the first things the Master of Masters had Seen had given him his title. His Sight had given him many clues across the years—helped him to discover the existence of Keyblades, to summon his own, to know the day when he would be needed—but the most important of them, to Master's estimation, had been his title.

"Master of Masters"—it had such a nice ring to it. So elite. Master stopped going by his first name as soon as possible, and adopted his title wholeheartedly. And although it was too pretentious for some, the fact that he had a magical weapon which no one else yet had helped convince them to adopt it too.

What he Saw—those fractured, incomplete scenes—was full of people he didn't recognize, in places he'd never seen, doing things that made no sense. When he was young, the visions had confused him: Who were the kids in the masks and why did he look at them in the eye, or taller! What was the key-looking weapon he saw in his own hand (for he knew it was his own, knew the voice that spoke those prophesies was _his_ , certain as the sun)? Master had never known _why_ he could See, _why_ it was only one eye that Saw, or how these things he Saw could ever happen.

The visions only increased in frequency and clarity the older he got, and Master stopped questioning _why_ , and instead learned to _act_ , whenever something was familiar that shouldn't have been. Learned to connect the dots and create the future, even though he only ever Saw half of the dots, even though the future was a picture of something that didn't exist yet and that Master had no idea how to understand.

By the time it was time to gather the first of what were to be his apprentices, Master had gotten used to acting on instinct mingled with foreknowledge, so the moment he saw the boy—dark-skinned with a smile as bright as the fire he would be so apt to create, and… and only one leg—Master knew to act, immediately.

Luxu was a little young, Master thought: barely a boy. Maybe five? Six? His eyes were so wide, his face so round and laugh so joyful. At what point would those eyes get so hardened, at what point did frown lines overwhelm those dimples?

 _No matter_ , Master decided. The weary, solitary Luxu, clothed in black and bearing a black box who sometimes appeared in his Eye couldn't come for years and years yet. And he couldn't pass up the chance to secure his first apprentice, even if Luxu was so young. He had to take the chance while it was here.

"Excuse me," Master said to the woman who had to be his mother, if her similar curls and proximity to the boy were any indication. Master hadn't Seen this woman in any other scenes, so he assumed that she either died at some point or let Luxu completely into his care. The woman's eyes widened as she gazed up at him, taken aback by the impenetrable cowl of his coat (as soon as he'd Seen the full black coat that reappeared again in reflections and mirrors, Master had commissioned the first seamstress he came across to make it for him) and registering how foreign he looked in comparison to the rest of Daybreak Town. "Yes?" she began, and Master thought he saw a flicker of apprehension on her face.

"I couldn't help but notice your son—"

The woman's suspicion hardened into anger, and she cut him off. "His leg wasn't taken by those monsters, if that's what you're asking. He's perfectly healthy now, and we need no—"

"No, not his leg," Master hurried to correct her, "I meant to ask if you'd secured a tutor for his prodigious magical talent."

The anger slid off her face, and she glanced in astonishment between her boy and him.

"His…?"

"Because if you have not," Master was grinning; he always loved it when he could disrupt the expected response. "I was going to humbly offer my services."

"Your…?" Luxu's mother's face was still slack as she glanced again at her son, then her eyebrows drew together in slight concern, but she returned to her original confusion. "W-what magic talent?"

The boy was still playing with some roughly carved figures by the next bench over, and looked to all the world to be a completely ordinary kid, aside from the absence of his leg.

"Oh, didn't you know?" Master brought his hands up to his hood as though in surprise. "I could feel it even with my rudimentary magic senses! That boy… he has one of the largest untapped wells of magic inside him I've ever seen!"

The woman's mouth remained agape, but now her eyes contained wonder. Master's smile grew beneath the shade of his hood. He, of course, could see nothing in the present to differentiate the boy from any other child, but he'd Seen what Luxu would be capable of. Of course, most of that magical skill (born of lots of practice, not innate ability) would be used to satiate the kid's pyrotechnic tendencies, but Master wasn't about to mention that to his mother.

"I'm sure he'll have tutors upon tutors begging to apprentice him before long," Master continued, and expected it when the woman's expression closed.

"No tutor will take my son," she refused, and Master waved his hands desperately in the air. "Oh no, no, of course not! No mage would dream of that. But I promise you, you'll want to get him a tutor before long. A magician in the family would bring such fame on your house!" Master watched her gaze grow sharp, understanding, even shrewd. "Of course, they'll be wanting payment, for the prestige of landing a named mage…"

"Payment?" she asked.

"Yes," Master said, almost apologetically. "I'm afraid most of us in the magical community are almost fonder of gold than of fame… I've never been able to convince my fellow mages that my way of taking apprentices on for free is a much better policy."

"For free?" The woman asked, and although Master knew she wouldn't be readily convinced to let Luxu go with him, this offer of a free magic tutor would tempt even the most protective mother.

"I know, it sounds crazy, to give away my knowledge for nothing except the honor of teaching…" Master trailed off, but kept his eyes on the woman's face. She could be convinced. Master knew she _would_ be convinced, somehow, given the frequency that Luxu appeared in his Sight, but now that he was here, he could _see_ it. This was his favorite part of life with Sight: the moment when he got to _watch_ everything fall into place to make the future happen. "…But I have found that the way I do things to be more fruitful, in the long run."

Her gaze was still wavering, so Master decided to lay it on a little thicker. "Throughout my travels, I have seen just how much good us mages can do in the world, if we could just stop being so focused on wealth… I know there aren't many magicians here, in Daybreak Town, but many consider magicians snobs. I've never liked that. We must be seen as the protectors, as the helpers. We should assist, not steal." Then, with a start, Master turned his head back toward the woman, as though he'd gotten lost in his speech and just now returned to the moment. "Sorry. As you can tell, I am very passionate about my work."

But Luxu's mother had lost her uncertain look. Master knew she was sold.

"I appreciate that in a teacher," Luxu's mother said. "If…" she glanced again at Luxu, then back at Master. "If my son truly has this… magical talent that you speak of, I can think of no better teacher than one like you."

Master shrugged his shoulders a little bit, as though to be embarrassed. "That's kind of you to say. I didn't mean to interrupt your morning, but I just couldn't ignore his bright magical presence! What a gift. The sooner he's apprenticed to hone that talent, the better career he'll have as a mage in the future."

Luxu's mother nodded, her brows furrowed. She took a breath, and then hesitated. Master knew that this was it. The woman hovered on the precipice for another moment, then asked, "And you said you were offering to apprentice him?"

Unable to contain his smile, Master tilted his head at her as though in question. "I would be honored to teach him." The woman smiled, and then Master added, "However, I am a traveling mage. I am only passing through Daybreak Town, and must be off this afternoon. I'm expected in Agriba tomorrow, to join some other mages in taking down some of those monsters that have been attacking." With those words, Luxu's mother's face fell. This would be the tricky part, Master knew—but she was still on the hook. Mentioning the monsters always seemed to do the trick in convincing people. Master looked forward to the day when no one would fear the Heartless, when Keywielders were plentiful enough that no more families would be torn apart by them. But Master _did_ have to go, and he knew from past experience to take advantage of the opportunity to grab at the pieces of the future when they appeared in front of him.

"Y-you would need to take him now?" Her voice wavered, and Luxu's mother looked to her son, protective, fearful.

"I would."

She took a deep breath. And another. Master watched emotions cross her face.

"I… I need to speak to my family." Her voice was thick when she spoke, but her gaze was clear when she looked back toward Master.

Master gestured freely. "Of course. I know this isn't the traditional way of securing an apprentice. Please don't feel pressured to give him into my care."

She nodded, and stood. Glancing toward Luxu once more, and around at the crowded square, she said "My home is just there. Please excuse me."

Master watched as she stooped down to speak to Luxu for a moment, then turned and hurried toward the nearest house. He wasn't worried whether or not she'd return with a positive answer, though. This was going perfectly so far.

So Master followed the woman's actions and walked over to kneel next to Luxu, shrugging back his hood as he went. Good first impressions were important.

As the little guy turned to look at him, Master's left Eye suddenly warped, and he blinked as two different visions confronted him: one present—a naïve smile of a chubby face with no worries—and the other from sometime ahead—a shadowed face, stooped shoulders as he turned to lug a locked black box out of Master's office. Master blinked again and only the present Luxu remained.

Master held out his hand to the wide-eyed boy. "Hello, Luxu."

The kid gave him a weird look. "My name's Sid, not…" he stumbled over the pronunciation, "not Shoe-shoe!"

Master blinked at him for a second. That was the first unexpected thing of the day.

Then he shrugged. No matter. "Don't tell your mom, but it is your name now."

Luxu got a frown for a second, but then he laughed. "You're funny!" And then Luxu, instead of shaking, gave Master's outstretched hand a high-five. Master decided he liked this kid, even snot-nosed as he was in the present.

"Luxu, do you like magic?"

The boy's eyes grew wide, and he nodded eagerly. "Would you like to see some?" Another set of excited nods, and Master grinned at him. Holding his hand out, Master called for his Keyblade, and watched the sparkles of Primum Ferrum spark wonder in the boy's eyes. "Cool, huh?"

Reaching out hesitant fingers, Luxu examined the Keyblade. He ran his hand along the perpetually cool metal and smiled at the bright colors. "This is called a Keyblade. It's made from my heart, and it helps me fight monsters."

Luxu's mouth was a perfect _O_ when he turned to look at Master again. "You fight monsters? Like the ones that scare Unca Quin so much?"

"Mmhmm," Master smiled at him, encouraged by the fact that his vivid blue eyes hadn't freaked the child out. Oftentimes, their electric hue made people nervous, but Luxu was too accepting or too young to care.

"Whoa!"

"I know, right? It's really cool." Master leaned in, conspiratorially. "Would you want to help me?"

Luxu's eyes got even wider, if that was possible. "Uh-huh!" But then his face fell, and Luxu glanced down at his leg. "B-but I can't."

Bending down even more, Master caught the kid's eye again. "Of course you can."

It was more than wonder in the kid's eyes, now. Master's words had somehow moved some shadow that hung on him, some uncertainty that had been so permanent in the boy's life that Luxu'd learnt to accept it. The Luxu whom Master had Seen for so long carried no such shadow.

Master smiled in return to the eager child. This was going well. One out of six acquired, even if the one still had a lot of growing to do before he would become the pyrotechnic menace who raced the castle parapets with Ava and Gula by his side and Ira yelling at them to be careful from the courtyard.

Master smiled as Luxu's mother came back, as she agreed to give Luxu into his training, as Luxu's little hand wrapped around Master's fingers and they headed off together, as another piece lined up in this picture, as more of the coming road was set in place. It was so nice to see the future becoming clearer.

 _~fin~_

...

* * *

 **A/N:** Thanks so much for reading, guys! I have a lot of feels about Back Cover children. I've been screaming about them a lot over on my tumblr (literally-in-too-many-fandoms) so if you are interested in my various other headcanons, go check my tumblr out! There's a link at the top for "KH Foreteller headcanons"

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Some notes about the fic:

Luxu being a RAK (right [leg] above [the] knee) amputee is NOT my og headcanon, I was mostly inspired by a Monoshiki's art which I LOVE (you can find them on tumblr at serenedash for amazing art!)

Cool fact: MoM's keyblade's (which I made up) name is Latin for "First Blade" because from the few details we have from Back Cover and UX, I headcanon that he was the first to figure out how to summon Keyblades and thus his is the first

Another cool fact: I made Luxu's original name "Sid" but it's short for "Sidus" which is Latin for "star"

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I'll maybe make this a series? I have some vague ideas for how MoM meets the other Foretellers but for now I'll leave it as is. Hope y'all enjoy!


	2. you'll figure it out one day (Invi)

(alternative title: you don't understand now, but that's okay

alternative alternative title: the choice makes no sense right now but if you only knew what i know

alternative alternative alternative title: fate and foreknowledge aren't the same thing, right?)

* * *

Master wondered, sometimes, if the visions were right. Well, of course they were—the things he Saw _always_ came true. _Always_. Everything he'd ever Seen had come true, or _would_ one day—it _had_ to, after everything Master had done to set them in motion. But did he See the things he Saw _because_ he'd taken actions to make them happen?

Master had tried to explain it to Luxu, once. He'd been staring up at the sky as he and the kid wandered along some road—Luxu had asked him at least ten times where they were going, and Master honestly woulda told the kid if he'd known, but he couldn't figure out if they were going to Olympus or that one world with the swamps. He'd decided to go because he'd Seen himself and Luxu running into some Heartless in time to save some wealthy travelers and get some coin, so Master decided to set off to find them. But was it the Olympus or the swamp one? Master couldn't remember.

So he had looked over at the kid and asked, "What if I'm _not_ Seeing these things _because_ I make them happen?"

Luxu, idly poking at one of his loose teeth, looked up at him long enough to shrug.

"I mean," Master felt the need to explain, even though the kid probably wouldn't understand, "Maybe I shouldn't be doing any of this. Maybe it's _not_ because of my meddling. Maybe we would still stumble across those travelers, even if you and I didn't go today. Maybe they'd be there next time we needed to go to Olympus."

"But, you said they'll be there when we shows up…"

Luxu still had trouble with some of his words, and his _th_ s sounded more like _D_ , so Master grinned at the "dey'll be dere," then shook his head to refocus on the implied question. "They _will_ be there once we get there. What I See _always_ is."

"Uhhh," the kid said, swinging his arms idly, "Then… we should go to the place." Then he reached over, unzipped and rezipped one of Master's pockets, then giggled.

And that was the end of that conversation. They did come across those travelers getting mugged, in Olympus, just like he'd Seen.

Master didn't return to the question for a while—he stayed awake some nights and _thought_ about thinking about it but moved on to another experiment each time instead. Thinking about his Sight was always a risky endeavor. He'd tried to figure it out many times: research into similar magic, manual searches for others like him… nothing had ever turned up. He was probably the first to possess the Sight. And maybe the last.

Anyway, maybe it didn't matter if he _made_ the future or only fulfilled fate. It had worked so far, hadn't it? So Master went about his business as usual, teaching Luxu in basic magics and watching the kid become more and more obsessed with matches. Master knew his obsession with fire would only get worse, so he didn't bother stopping him.

So the next time he saw something he recognized from a vision, Master dropped everything—quite literally, his one grocery bag tumbling into the alley—to turn the corner toward the fruit stall and the bakery. This was where he would meet Invi. He'd Seen the place before.

Master walked into the row between it and the next stall over, looking for her. Invi would be here. He didn't know _how_ he was going to get her as an apprentice, but this was where she would be when he did. _Which is now,_ he figured, since he was there.

The lady behind the stall looked at him weird as she set up the boxes of strawberries. "Can I help you?" Master peered at her, but shook his head. She was too fair-skinned to be related to his next apprentice. "I'm here to meet someone."

The shopkeeper glanced at the mostly empty street, then gestured toward the clocktower which was just visible over the next rooftop, "At six in the morning? Barely anyone would be up this early, young man."

"She's coming," Master said, anyway, and tried to remember what he'd Seen about this place before. There was something about the strawberries… Master peered at them. All vividly red, freshly picked. And the cart that they'd just been taken off from was empty besides a half-asleep old man who held the reigns.

For good measure, Master looked behind the stall. No small figure sat there to meet his gaze. Master felt his limbs still, his heart skipping a beat. Where was Invi? This was the place. He knew it.

"Well, if 'she's' not here yet," the shopkeeper grabbed his attention again, "Would you mind helping me with these displays?"

Master snapped out of his daze to look over. It took him several seconds too long to find his voice again, but when he did it was a smooth, "Of course! I may have mixed up the date…" and gave a fake-rueful laugh. He hurried to her and set up the boxes for her as the shopkeeper babbled on about this and that—town gossip that he was supposed to know or care about—but Master's head was still spinning. This was where he met Invi. He knew it. Why wasn't she here? The visions were never wrong.

Clinging to that thought, Master kept idle conversation going with the shopkeeper as the light brightened and the street filled. But even as customers came along and more and more people passed by, there was still no sign of Master's next apprentice.

Finally, long after his presence there had become awkward, Master left, his mind still reeling.

Luxu didn't ask him any questions when Master came back that night, just yawned and gave him an apple, and excitedly showed him how he'd stacked all the books he could reach into a giant tower (it almost fell over on the kid, but Master ruffled his hair anyway and he smiled a gap-toothed smile back). It wasn't enough to distract him from the heavy feeling inside him, but it was enough to tide him over until the moon rose and the kid tumbled into bed.

As Luxu slept, Master broke into the castle which would soon be his and stalked the parapets, letting his feet roam the pathways which he already knew and would know so well. He'd Seen it all. As soon as the old man who currently owned it died, Master would swoop in and clear up the confusion about the deed by producing it out of thin air. But it would be winter when the man fell down those stairs, and, after glancing at the blossoms on the trees, Master realized it was still spring. Not yet, then.

But it _was_ spring, at that little fruit shop, when Master met Invi. He'd Seen it.

So why hadn't she been there?

A seed of doubt remained in his chest, now that he'd entertained the thought. Could it be that the vision had been wrong?

 _No_ , Master refuted. _No, it was a vision. I'd just misremembered. Maybe it's at a different fruit stall. I am still going to meet Invi._

Master left the parapets of the castle that would be his a few hours later, when the seed of doubt seemed small and his chest didn't clench at the thought of earlier that day. It was almost dawn by then, but that was okay. Master was used to operating off of little sleep.

/

As with most days, Master took this one as it came. He and Luxu had been doing a lot of practice on summoning his Keyblade recently, so he woke up and decided to treat the kid to some fresh fruits and a day off. He'd set off from the castle without really thinking about where he was going, and ended up in a bright little town with a clocktower and little other importance.

He was just wandering around the main street when Master heard a voice, "Did you ever meet up with her?"

Master turned, not recognizing the voice, only to find a shopkeeper with a friendly smile looking back at him from above a display of grapes.

"Huh?"

But then he recognized the street—he was back in that little nothing town with that fruit stall where he was going to meet Invi. And this time, there were other shoppers, and Master's heart jumped at the realization that _this_ was when he met Invi. "Yes, actually, I did," Master said to the shopkeep. Confidently, he stepped around a box and his eyes found the figure of a familiar child.

She was little—not quite as little as Luxu was when Master found him, and still bigger than Luxu was now, after… what, a year? Two?—with a scarf pulled up to her nose and the strictest-looking school uniform Master had ever seen. He hated school uniforms, but usually they were rumpled and buttoned wrong because kids always managed to mess up whatever you gave them, in their hurry to go and do whatever it was that was ahead. Sometimes Master felt more like a kid than Luxu, given that he'd forgotten to zip up his own coat at least seven times and the kid had to remind him. But Invi's uniform was immaculate, _too_ immaculate. Either she was the most self-controlled child Master had ever seen, or she had an over-controlling parent figure.

 _Or both_ , Master thought, as Invi's mother (given that the woman was the spitting image of the Invi whom Master had Seen so often, he assumed they were related) walked into view, her voice loud and carrying, "—and she's her teachers' first pick for the private school up the hill. Doe and I are _so_ proud of her. We have to make weekly trips to the library to keep up with—"

But Invi wasn't paying attention to her mother's bragging words as the woman blabbed on to a pretending-to-pay-attention friend. Her eyes flitted across the various fruits in the stall, her hands tightly controlled at her sides but her fingers twitching slightly as her wide eyes roamed the stall: Master could imagine a hungry mouth was hiding under that scarf, like the expression Luxu often made when Master lost track of time and forgot lunch.

Smiling, Master walked closer, grabbing a strawberry as he went. The girl's mother was too busy bragging to her friend to pay much attention, so Master shrugged back his hood and went to meet his next apprentice.

As he approached, Master's vision split, and he stumbled slightly. The little girl, her gaze full of wonder and intelligence, still stood before him, but his left eye saw a taller figure, with the same style of scarf pulled up over her mouth, a snake mask obscuring those bright eyes, and her lithe form held upright through willpower, not actual joy.

With his hood pushed back, Invi had a full view of Master's electric blue eyes (which always seemed to capture everyone's attention), but her eyes quickly turned to the giant red strawberry between his black-gloved fingers.

"Would you like a strawberry, Invi?"

The girl's eyebrows furrowed at the name, but shook her head. "Mama said strawberries are only for special occasions." Her voice was slightly muffled under that scarf, but she spoke clearly. Even this young, and Invi was good with her pronunciation. Hopefully some of that would rub off on Luxu.

"Oh, but it is!" Master grinned at her, and Invi's eyes finally went to his. "It is?" She asked, head tilted oh so adorably. She grew out of the puppy dog look eventually, but Master still found it adorable.

"It _is_ ," Master repeated, and held the strawberry even closer. But the girl didn't take it, instead shaking her head and asking, "What special occasion is it?"

She always would keep that insistence on knowing the truth. Even this young, and she sought out all the knowledge she could get at every opportunity. That mind was wasted in a school, here in some nowhere town.

"It," Master began, grabbing one of her little hands and dropping the strawberry into it, "Is the first day of your apprenticeship."

Although Master could see that she wanted to question what he meant, Invi finally gave into her desire for the fruit. With one hand she pulled her scarf down and with the other she carefully brought the strawberry up to her mouth, avoiding touching her uniform with the berry-stained fingers. She devoured it in a split-second, and, the treat gone, her gaze turned back to his. And Master was given his first full smile from the girl, as she said, "My name is Lyra, what's yours, mister?"

Master returned her smile. "I'm Master."

"What's an app-ren-tis-ship, Mister Master?" Invi asked, carefully sounding out the word.

"Well," Master said, glancing over at Invi's mother to make sure she was still merrily chatting with her friend, "In your case, it means that you come with me to a new school, and you get some new friends, and get to learn magic! And once you've learned a lot of it, you will be able to protect people."

"Magic?" Invi asked, her brown eyes so very wide. She'd forgotten to pull her scarf back up, and the varied speckles of her vitiligo around her mouth and chin caught Master's attention. The girl would almost never let her scarf drop, even around the other foretellers. But Master felt a strange kinship with her, knowing that she too would have dealt with the stares that he had. People could be cruel in their fascination with anything out of the ordinary. That was one of the reasons Master always kept his hood up. Being a magician with a fancy weapon _and_ glowing blue eyes… It was combination that led to more than one invasive question. Master was more than fine to deflect and laugh, but Invi preferred to hide her marks. And learning magic would only attract more attention than just continuing on in her schooling.

But Invi's talents were wasted on mere academia. "Yes, magic." With a quick movement of his hand, Master sent two little lights spiraling from his fingertips. Invi's eyes followed them, and Master saw her bounce on her toes in excitement. Master had Seen that she would spend enough time in the library to more than make up for dropping out of school anyway. "Whoa," Invi gasped, her eyes tracking the lights as they twirled around Master's hand.

"You'll get to learn a lot more than you ever would at school," Master continued, clenching his fists around the lights and snuffing them out. "And together with your new friends, you'll get to help lots and lots of people."

Invi's smile was as bright as her eyes. But then there came a loud laugh from behind her as Invi's mother continued chatting, and Invi's face shut down. She glanced behind her, and apparently remembering, pulled her scarf back up to her nose. "Mama wouldn't like it… She says I'm to go to school up the hill."

But Master shook his head. He hadn't Seen how he would convince the mother, but he figured the same script as last time would work. Parents tended to be pretty attracted by the _free-magic-apprenticeship_ offer. "Do you want to?" Master asked.

Invi's eyebrows furrowed, like she'd never been asked that question before. After a second, she shook her head slightly and whispered, "No."

Master's smile just grew, and he made no attempt to cover it. "Well, good thing you won't be going there, now isn't it?"

"How do you know that?" Invi's nose peeked out from her scarf.

"You'll figure it out one day, Invi." And Master reached out and tapped her nose, laughing at the surprised look she gave him in response.

...

* * *

 **A/N:** heyyy look who's back with more foreteller tomfoolery! yep it's me. I spend waaay too much time thinking about back cover so i just had to write more of this. and yeah it's a multichapter now. Gula's next! I already have some of his written out but no promises as to when i'll be done enough to post it haha. If you want more foreteller content from me tho, check out my headcanons on my tumblr, under the url literally-in-too-many-fandoms!

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Some notes about the fic:

I headcanon Invi to have vitiligo and dark skin, but don't have much else for her appearance-wise. but i really love her

Cool fact: _Lyra_ is Latin, and it has a lot of potential meanings. one of the most common is _harp_ , but it could refer to poetry. Less commonly, it means _genius_ or _inspiration_ , both of which i really like for Invi.

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thanks so much for reading, friends! hopefully it won't be two months til i update again, but no promises

hope y'all are having a great day wherever you are!


	3. you'll trust me one day (Gula)

(alternative title: it's always sunny when you look at the future and not the present

alternative alternative title: nope I don't have any proof but believe me it's better

alternative alternative title: focus on the good parts of the future and ignore that darkness, it'll be all right)

* * *

Luxu, for all of the kid's enthusiasm and tenacity, had never much questioned Master's strange habits. He made a game out of trying to find Master sleeping and he was never too disappointed when Master changed plans last minute, instead of being confused by the fact that Master never got into bed or the fact that he moved to follow pieces of the future instead of the current troubles. The kid had gotten used to Master's oddities pretty quickly, Master had to give him that.

But Invi, she was much too smart to not wonder why her Master forgot what he'd said mere minutes previously, or how he never seemed to know where he was going until he got there. After a good year of balancing preparations for the future _and_ his two apprentices, Master began to realize just how often his present and future got mixed up. There wasn't much he could do about it, but it weighed on his mind some nights after his two apprentices tumbled into bed, tired from a day of learning magic and following Master as he chased the future.

Master had only ever Seen bits and pieces of how he would train the foretellers. How could he keep a consistent lesson plan, if he was constantly forgetting that the ten-year-old and eight-year-old under his care couldn't perform spells like Triple Blizzaga?

Or, that was a question _Invi_ asked. And sure, sometimes Master forgot that his apprentices weren't Masters yet, or forgot that Luxu still had trouble summoning his Keyblade, or forgot that there were only two of them and not six. Master himself had never much questioned how his perception got mixed up. He just learned to roll with the punches when someone said " _I've never met you before"_ , learned to shrug and move on when he showed up to a place that hadn't been built yet. But Invi's soft questions made him realize just how often he confused _now_ with _later_ and _later_ with _past_. It should have troubled him, and maybe it did, but there wasn't anything he could do about it. He wasn't sure about much when it came to his Sight, but he was sure that _he_ had to bear it and bring the future ever closer by grabbing every piece he saw.

So when he woke up one morning and Saw himself heading out into the currently falling leaves and going toward that catch-all town some miles away, Master didn't question it. He sprung up, and stirred his apprentices, zipping up his coat as he did. "Rise and shine, Little Lu! You too, Innie. Master's gotta go to that Traverse place and see what awaits him. And that means you two need to get up and eat that breakfast I cooked up."

Luxu just rolled out of bed, hair all mussed, and eyes mostly shut. With one hand he groped for his prosthetic leg and with the other he rubbed at the grit in his eyes. "H-have fun, Master!" Though Luxu couldn't see it through the shade of the hood, Master winked at him. "Always do!"

But then he felt a tug on his coat and looked down to see Invi looking at him with wide eyes.

"You said we would learn Cure spells today, Master."

"Uhh…" Master fumbled for a second.

"Oh yeah, you did!" Luxu sprang up, his expression brightening. "I like the green magic you do when I fall down! I wanna try!"

"Uhhh…" Master repeated, head swiveling between the now-wide awake Luxu and the piercing glare of Invi. He'd forgotten that he'd promised anything yesterday. "Aaand we will!" He forced his mouth into a grin in time to bend down to Invi's level, and pull his hood back. "But I've gotta run an errand first. I'll be back, and _then_ we'll learn Cure spells. Got it?"

"Mmmkay," Luxu said, easily pacified, and turned back to look for his prosthetic.

Invi started to frown, but then Master patted her head and said, "So no serious injuries until I get back, huh?"

Then she grinned, and nodded. "Okay, Master!"

"Good," he said, and stood back up. Pulling the hood up as he went, Master headed down the stairs. "I've got a good feeling about my errand. I'll bring you guys back something special!"

/

In that murky future, far beyond the War and the Black Box, Master had Seen what a great place Traverse Town would come to be. It would embrace the perpetual night and be home to hundreds who had nowhere else to go, a place where all the stars could reach it, and it could reach all the stars. Just knowing what a thriving place it would be made Master enjoy visiting Traverse Town—even though currently, it was more dirt than homes, and the stars were dim and far away for the isolated community there.

So even though Master loved it there, and especially loved knowing that would come to this place, he was unsurprised to find more glares than greetings. Master knew he didn't look like he belonged—his black coat too pristine, his strut too confident—in comparison to the ragged clothes and jumpy peasants who currently resided there.

But Master went anyway, nodding hello to those who glared longer than a moment and keeping his eyes peeled for anyone who looked like they needed help.

It was after a while, striding through the dark alleys and the few cobbled streets, when Master heard a pair of soft feet start following him. He didn't give any indication that he'd noticed, but he kept his senses primed.

He wasn't surprised when he felt a lithe hand slip into the pocket that had his munny in it. And just when the hand closed around his munny and started to retract, Master spun around lunged forward to grab the thief.

There was a curse, and Master held fast as the thief started to pull away. "Don't," Master warned, releasing the hand in favor of leaning closer to threaten the… the kid before him. The thief was maybe Luxu's age, with dirt staining him head to foot and the look of someone who hadn't eaten much recently.

Master froze for a second. That raggedy head of hair… and those sharp eyes.

 _Gula._

As soon as Master realized who he was staring at, his vision split. In one eye remained the young, skittish-looking youth, covered in dirt and scabs, and the other Eye gazed upon the same figure—only this one was older (if not too much taller), more stable, with his distrust softened into an analytical mind. Master blinked and only the young Gula was left before him.

Slowly raising his hands, the kid backed away from him. Gula's eyes were fixed on the depths of Master's hood, obviously trying to make eye contact but failing.

"I'm—I'm…" Gula swallowed, and his eyes left their search for Master's face and instead focusing on…

With a start, Master realized he'd summoned Primum Ferrum without thinking. The Blade wasn't pointed at the kid, but it gleamed threateningly at his side.

"Whoopsies," Master mumbled, and released the weapon into stars. "That was a bad first impression."

Gula didn't look less like a startled rabbit, even with the weapon gone. So Master knelt next to him, pulling back his hood slowly to be sure not to spook him off. Master had never Seen the moment when he would meet Gula. This was uncharted territory. And he knew he needed to add another to the ranks of his apprentices. He couldn't mess this up.

"But then again, it also wasn't super nice of you to try to steal from me," Master said, "So I guess we're even."

"Who are you?" Gula asked, his eyebrows knitting together as he met Master's electric eyes. He looked a little less skittish now that Master was at his height, but he wasn't calmed.

"You first," Master said. "I think you owe me some manners, after you tried to take my munny."

Casting a critical eye over Master, Gula's gaze lost its fear. The look in his eyes changed to analytical, as he took in the immaculate black coat and the Keybearer symbols which Master knew he wouldn't recognize.

The kid swiped a hand on his shirt, smearing the dirt already accumulated here. "The kids here call me Ver."

And he held out his hand to shake. Master smiled, and took it. "You can call me Master." Gula's eyes narrowed, and Master had to suppress an even wider grin. Already, Master could see the trouble child who would drive Aced up the wall and give Ira endless headaches. "The full title is the Master of Masters, if you're wondering."

"Wasn't," Gula muttered, but Master knew that this wouldn't drive him away. He would always have a problem with authority, but that didn't mean he wouldn't pay attention to this offer.

"Yep, the Master of Masters." Master winked at him. "You wanna know what _else_ I'm Master of?"

Gula shook his head really slowly.

Leaning closer (and ignoring how the kid leaned back), Master whispered, "Master of Keybearers."

"What're those?" Gula demanded, but added another question before Master could speak, "Was that magic weapon you had—"

"A Keyblade, yes. Making me a Keybearer." Master said before he could finish the question.

The kid's expression went from confused to analytical to jealous, all in a split second. "You're a magician."

"More than just a magician, kiddo." Master smiled. "A hero."

And that was when Master realized he'd made his first mistake. Gula's face closed off, and the kid turned away from him to mutter, "There aren't heroes here."

Master had Seen how Gula was sharp and prickly through his first years as an apprentice, but he'd never Seen what made him that way. "…Where are your parents, kiddo?"

Gula just glared back. "Don't have those here either."

For the first time, Master really wished that the future he'd Seen, where all his apprentices would be together and happy and whole, would hurry up. Time had never been his enemy before, but suddenly he wasn't content with knowing what _would_ come. Gula was never this hurt, after he got to the castle.

"I…" It made him second guess his words. Master didn't have knowledge of this to fall back on, couldn't have prepared for this moment. "You could change that."

His face turned fierce, and Master realized another mistake. "Not the parents part, sorry about that," Master held up a placating hand. "I'm afraid that's… set in stone. I know that myself.

"But if you come with me, you could learn magic, and get a Keyblade like mine. That would make _you_ a hero."

"Go with you?" Gula repeated, and his voice was softer now.

"I'm taking apprentices. Taking them to a place to learn and grow up. It's pretty awesome, if I do say so myself.

"And you would fit right in. You'll make a great hero one of these days, if you come with me. It's far away from here, and you wouldn't need to steal anything to survive."

The kid's eyes, so sharp, so penetrating, glanced away. "I need some time to think about it."

Master entertained the idea of refusing, of forcing Gula to agree, or just taking him to the castle where he would be enthralled by the towers and the friends (Master had Seen his wide, hungry eyes when he met Invi and Luxu—no smile yet, but one coming). He wasn't in the habit of letting opportunities pass. He'd learned early on that there was no guarantee that there would be another way to make the Future other than the one you saw in front of you.

But Master looked again at those eyes. _No_ , he decided, Gula _would_ come. He just needed time to make the decision on his own.

So Master shrugged the hood back up, and nodded. "Of course."

Then he left, simple as that. Invi and Luxu _would_ still get this surprise, but it wouldn't be today.

/

One week later, as Master breezed back through the entrance to a tavern in that same dusty Town, after finding that the place wasn't a brewery yet (fine, he'd come back in a year or two for that excellent beer he'd Seen), he was brought up short by that dirty, stubborn figure.

"I accept."

Master blinked at him. Wasn't this their first meeting? No, no, this was the present. That was right, Gula had said he needed time to decide. _Finally_. Half of the way to the complete set of apprentices.

Pushing back his hood, Master let his smile embrace his next apprentice. "I am so happy to hear that, Gula."

Ignoring the kid's confused look, Master swept back toward the exit to town. He didn't hear any footsteps follow along for a moment, so Master called over his shoulder, "Hurry it up! I promised Innie and Lu that I'd bring you home last time, and they've got a much better memory than me!"

"Who?" Gula demanded, but he followed. The kid kept pace beside him, no longer questioning but leaving the inferior Traverse Town behind. Master hoped, for a second, that Gula would get the chance to come back once it was a thriving place for wanderers from all over— _but who knows when that'll be._

Every once in a while as they walked, Master saw Gula's face turn up to his, mouth open as though in a question. But every time after being greeted only by Master's impenetrable hood, Gula took a breath and then closed his mouth resolutely, gaze returning to the road. The kid could keep up pretty well, Master had to give him that. It was a long walk back to Daybreak Town, but Gula never once complained. In fact, when they entered the bright, bustling city, the kid shrunk closer to Master, as though looking for protection from the open windows and cheerful greetings.

He looked down at the kid and smiled. This would be quite an adjustment. But it would be a good one. Master had Seen how Gula would thrive with siblings to make fun of.

"We're headed for that one," Master broke their silence and pointed toward the castle in the middle of the town. "That's my castle. I know, it's very impressive."

Gula squinted at it critically. When he could see it, he mumbled, "One of the towers is crumbling,"

"Well, that's gonna be fixed. And when it is, the castle's gonna look amazing."

Gula didn't protest this, and they finished the walk in silence. Master had Seen that Luxu and Invi would still be in the courtyard when they got there, so just strode straight to the main gate and flung it open, noticing how Gula flinched at the sudden movement. "Kiddos! I've got that belated present from Twilight Town!"

Whooping, Luxu stood from where he'd been playing with some matches but froze when he saw Gula. After a moment of the two staring at each other, Luxu's face split into the widest grin Master had ever Seen on it. "HEY!"

Luxu sprinted over and stuck out his hand to shake. "I'm Luxu, and that's Invi! Are you here to learn magic and get a Keyblade too?"

Gula seemed unsure how to answer, so Master did for him. With a slight push to his shoulders, Master propelled the kid toward Luxu. "He sure is! Innie, Lu, meet Gula. Gula, this is your new home!"

It looked for a moment like Gula was going to protest the new name, or dispute Master's words, but before he could, Luxu started babbling about a tour of the castle.

It was good to see another piece of the future. Halfway to the full set of apprentices, now. Even if having Gula among them was going to steal even _more_ of Master's free time. He had Seen Gula many times. The boy would be one of the more difficult of his apprentices, holding grudges and taking revenge, scarred from his young life where he had no one to rely on but himself. And Master had Seen that that distrust would be broken by the family which Master himself was gathering in his apprentices.

But Master had also Seen what would eventually make Gula's trust harden again. He'd Seen how Master's own disappearance and the mission left to him would make all that progress away from him.

It soured his attitude, as he watched Luxu grab Gula by the hand and race off, chattering about the secret passageways and the gears which were _so much fun to climb, right, Invi?_ Master shook his head and shook the knowledge away. He would focus on the good part of the future—that bright, talented apprentice of his who he'd Seen making acerbic comments without any real heat, hiding a smile around the people who would be his family.

That darkness that ruined some of that light… Master had Seen it. And the closer he got to the future, the more darkness he Saw. Death, destruction, distrust, and _the War_ … It would strip his apprentices of all the things they'd held onto.

"Master! Can Gula stay in the room next to mine?"

Turning, Master was met with a bouncing Luxu. The kid's eyes were sparkling, and he was still holding Gula's hand.

 _That darkness will be theirs to deal with_.

Behind them, Invi stuck her head around the corner, books in her hand. She would go show Gula the library, and realize that he couldn't read well, and it would become her new project. Master had Seen them grow close, bent over those dusty books.

 _But not yet._

"Gula gets the tower room," Master bent down to meet their eyes, "Because he's gonna like the view there. But you can go show him your room if you want, little Lu."

Luxu, undimmed in enthusiasm, nodded and turned to drag Gula in that direction. Invi, still holding those books, followed, after flashing Master one of her rare unabashed grins.

 _Not yet. What I've Seen won't come for years and years yet. They're happy for now._

 _..._

* * *

 **A/N:** i had a lot more free time the past couple days than i thought, and was really inspired for this one. probably because it's slightly more angsty than the first two  
Ira's next! and the next one might be double as long as this one, for... reasons. But given that, and the fact that I'm kind of burnt out after writing basically all of this in the past two days, it might be a while... So I apologize in advance if the wait is long for the next chapter.

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some notes about the fic:

Gula needs glasses! this is canon! I claim it as canon!

Also his OG name, Ver, again, is Latin. it means _spring_ or _youth_.

i feel like Master is a guy who talks in exclamation points a lot

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i am so glad that you guys read this far! thanks for taking the time to read all my headcanons about these foreteller fools and their backstories. I'm having waay too much fun writing it.

again, the next chapter might take a while. thanks for your patience! and hope y'all are having a good day wherever you are :)


	4. you'll find a place & family (Ira & Ava)

(alternative title: the places I can take you might not be better but they're not here

alternative alternative title: the known unknown is always better than a known boring

alternative alternative alternative title: I've Seen what's coming, oh boy is it coming)

* * *

There was an interesting dichotomy in Master's day-to-day life.

At least half of the time, the things that happened to him were things he'd already Seen, and Master knew how to react, or knew to prepare for it beforehand. And the older he got, the more things he'd Seen, so the better he could prepare. He already had gotten some new shoes, so the day that Gula winced when they took a walk in the snow, Master already had the new pair ready, before the kid could try to hide his need. Master had given his apprentices a tour of the forest, so on that one mission when Luxu got separated from the rest of them, he could find his way back.

And then there was the other half of his life, wherein Master switched between future and present too much and forgot which was which, completely caught off guard by very normal things.

Thankfully, his apprentices were getting pretty good at dealing with this.

It was morning, and everything was going fine, until Master heard some movement by the back door as he prepared breakfast for the kiddos. He summoned Primum Ferrum before thinking about it. He had Seen several different scenarios involving attacks from the rear entrance— _was it the Darkside who would be brought down by Aced in his pajamas? Or those persistent Keykids who would break into the castle for the fifth time? Or was it Luxu and Gula with yet another stash of fireworks?_

Master whipped the door open, and brought his Keyblade in a swinging arc to attack whatever was on the doorstep, only to be greeted by a very high-pitched scream.

He stopped his swing just in time.

"Master," Invi said reproachfully behind him. "It's just the milk man."

"Oh, right," Master said apologetically to the shaking man. "Sorry about that!"

"The same thing happened yesterday," the milkman said, wiping his brow. "Do you not remember?"

Master shrugged, and threw his hands up in the air, "Not particularly! Did I already pay you?"

The man nodded.

"Then at least I don't have to worry about forgetting that!" Master said, taking the milk from him and closing the door.

Invi still looked pretty reproachful behind him, but after a second, she just tugged her scarf up higher over her nose and went back to the other room. "Is breakfast ready?" Luxu called, sticking his head around the corner as she passed him.

Master waved him off and finished gathering the plates up. He shook his head to get rid of the lingering unease from the milkman's sudden appearance. Most of the time, the clearer the future got, and the better prepared Master felt. He had always felt sure of himself, always known things would work out eventually. He used to wake up and wander through the day, chasing familiar scenes from what he'd Seen, but now, after so long, Master didn't wander. He got to wake up, teach his apprentices some magic, and then stride off in _chase_ of those scenes, confident that he would find them.

But some days… Some days, like this morning, Master was brought up short by just how unclear his memories got, between past and future.

"Maa-aster" came Luxu's whine, again, and Master shook it off. He wouldn't let one mis-remember ruin his whole day. He counted the plates one last time—five, no, wait, six, including himself—and sauntered out into the dining room.

Luxu cheered, and Gula half-heartedly swatted the other boy to get him to shut up. Gula still looked half asleep, yawning and barely raising his head at Master's entrance. Invi dutifully moved her book off the table to make room for the plates.

But Master paused.

"Wait, where are Ira and Ava?" Master asked, looking behind him. It was hard to miss them, Ava with her sunshine smile and bouncing walk, and Ira, quieter but studious, always nearby and ready to learn. But they were nowhere to be seen.

"Master?" Gula asked, awake now, and he and Invi exchanged looks. "What do you mean?" Master looked back at them. There were only three apprentices. He only had three, right now.

The realization shook him for just one second. How could he have forgotten that he hadn't gotten Ira yet? He was next. How had Master so thoroughly mixed that up?

Well, that just wouldn't do. It was past time for him to gather Ira—and Master knew just where to look. Ava would come shortly after, or so he assumed, since Master had never Seen where he would find Ava.

Master set down the tray on the table, and took a deep breath. It must be time to change his present, then.

So Master clapped his hands together, and addressed his current apprentices. "Aaaall-rightie. Lessons are actually cancelled today, I forgot that I have to meet someone—" Master looked out the window, gauging the time, "—at noon." He walked over, ruffled Invi's hair, high-fived Gula, and fixed Luxu's jacket. "So I've got to get going!" As he left, there was no protest—Luxu just waved cheerily, Gula rolled his eyes, and Invi smiled slightly.

"Invi, keep an eye on them! And tell me what they've blown up when I come back!" He called over his shoulder.

"Uh, okay, Master!" "We won't blow anything up!" came the responses, but Master was already out of the door.

At least he knew where to go, for this. He'd Seen this, before.

/

He'd never been there in person, yet. The sand beneath his boots shifted as he strode through it, an unfamiliar sensation, and the sound of the waves foaming and breaking was somehow soothing, even though its endlessness was almost unsettling. Master had the urge to just sit and watch, just be swept into the repetitive motion of the ocean. What a life that would be, he thought. Enraptured by the motion forever, the same movement again and again, but somehow different every time the water ebbed and flowed.

These Islands were beautiful. Master would have to come back again, if he could.

But he wasn't here to relax, today. So he turned away from the sunlight sparkling off the waves and made his way toward the seaside buildings. On the side of the largest one, he saw the words _Destiny High_.

But even as he walked toward it, the doors flew open, and a stream of youths spilled out, and Master was pleased to see a familiar head of long blue hair among them. Ira was coming to him.

The kids were a mix of ages, some clumsy with rapidly growing limbs and others racing with endless energy and high voices. Their teachers stood nearby, but for the most part just chatted, paying no attention to the mass of kids. Many of the younger ones jumped straight into the waves, swimming like fish, delighted as they splashed each other, even though Master was sure they did this every day.

Some of the kids noticed him, though, and Master smiled beneath his hood as some of them (mostly older ones, trying to be cool and not playing, as though they had outgrown it) nudged each other and made their way over to him.

Ira was among them, and Master smiled wider.

As Ira came closer, Master's vision split. In one eye, it was just the curious face of a sun-tanned youth, a burgeoning teenager with the ache to be free hidden under his "good kid" façade. But in the other Eye, Master saw a tall figure. Ira's face hadn't changed much over the years, but his shoulders had, broadening under the weight of responsibility, his skills sharp and his mind sharper.

"Hey, mister," one of the kids said, and Master blinked, the vision disappearing. "I haven't seen you before. What're you doing here?"

"You'd be right, kiddo. I'm just traveling through these parts."

"What do you do?" A girl asked him.

"Oh me?" Master said, and smiled in anticipation. "Nothing special. I'm just a magician."

All the youths gasped, and stepped forward, almost unconsciously. "Whoa!" "Do some magic!" some of the kids demanded, and Master's eyes found Ira's face. He hadn't asked anything, but at Master's words, he had perked up.

"Oh, psh, it's nothing fancy," Master said, shrugging his shoulders, only to straighten and summon a small firework between his palms with a flourish.

The youths yelled in delight, and all crowded closer. "Do it again!" "What else can you do?"

It would be easy enough to enthrall them with a bit of magic. But Master shook his head. "I'm afraid that's about all I can do right now. I must be on my way soon. The next world over from here is gonna need some protection, and I need to save my magic for then."

This brought on another wave of questions, and before he knew it, Master was seated, whipping out story after story of his past heroic deeds, as the group of kids sat around him, enraptured.

It was flattering, Master had to admit. Most worlds were aware enough of each other that they didn't seem surprised by magic or travelers, but it seemed that these Islands were unusually secluded. This group of kids looked at him with awe, gasping at all the right parts of his only-slightly-embellished stories and laughing, too (even when Master hadn't really made a joke). They were all tanned, lounging in the sands like they belonged there; like they had been here amid the waves and warm air forever and would never leave even when their skin turned to wrinkles. Their eagerness was mostly that of thrill, not of a genuine desire to experience the same.

But not Ira. He was leaning forward, mouth closed, hardly breathing. Master had him on the hook. He smiled at the sight—once Ira became accustomed to his new life, excitement and novelty were far from his mind, and he walked around with his nose in a book more than he _oohed_ or _aahed_ over Master's new inventions.

"And every night, I get to go back home to my clock castle, and teach my apprentices all the stuff I've learned." Master concluded.

The kids all gasped, and several of the younger ones started chattering questions _What's a clock castle? What kinds of magic do you teach?_ But Ira had stood, out of all of them. His breath was coming faster, his eyes fixed on Master's inscrutable hood, and he blurted out, overriding the other, more innocent questions, "And you teach people?"

"You seem interested," Master said mildly.

The youth didn't answer, but he didn't need to. Master could see it in his eyes.

Master had Seen, over and over again, how those eyes wouldn't waver in the face of difficulty. How those slim shoulders would bear the weight of leadership. How he could— _would_ —go with the other foretellers into the murky place that Master hadn't Seen much of yet. He'd never Seen this moment, though. This moment, where the youth met his eyes and didn't draw back, where Master offered him a way off these Islands and Ira lunged for it.

Just then, the a bell rang inside the school. There was a chorus of groans, but the kids got to their feet easily, joking with each other as they swaggered off to their next class—the older ones, more Ira's age, went toward the bigger building. "Thanks for the stories, mister!" one of them said, as he left. The littler ones went toward the open door of a smaller room attached to the school, where a smiling teacher was counting heads as they traipsed in, not even bothering to shake off the sand from their sandals.

But Ira remained. His eyes hadn't wavered from Master's hood. "And you teach people?" He repeated.

"Sometimes," Master said.

"Would you teach me?" Ira asked, and Master was struck by the tone of voice. His words were almost desperate, as though if Master said "no", his hopes would be destroyed. "You're already in school," Master pointed out, jerking his head toward the building behind Ira.

"Nobody here cares about school," Ira said. "They don't teach us anything here that we couldn't learn on our own."

"Then why stay?"

"I don't have anywhere to go." Ira said it softly, but with a solid defeat.

The bell rung once again. Ira glanced back at the building, and Master could see it in his posture that he wanted to head inside. Even though he hated it, Ira couldn't stand _not_ obeying the rules. Master smiled. That rule-follower spirit.

"Well, how about you go teach those kids how to study right. And after you've finished class, you meet me back here. Then we can talk about how you _do_ have a place to go, if you want it."

"I do," Ira blurt out, but Master held up a hand. "Go to class. I can tell you want to. We can talk about it after."

Ira wavered for just one more second. "You'll still be here?"

Master nodded. "I'll stay right here." Maybe he would get to get lost in watching the waves for a while, after all.

Hesitantly, Ira stepped back, but eventually he did turn back to the school, sprinting inside. Before he shut the door behind him, Master saw him take one last look back for his dark coat.

/

Ira was back before the sun had touched the horizon. The school bell rang, loud and long, and the doors once again flew open. He was the first one out, visibly sagging with relief when he saw Master's dark figure.

Most of the other kids headed inland, waving lazy goodbyes to friends and walking with the surety of people who had been here for their whole lives. A few of the younger kids remained on the beach, some diving back into the waves. Two of them wandered nearby where Master was sitting, kicking at the sand and picking up seashells.

But Ira headed straight to Master.

Knowing it wouldn't scare him off, Master pulled back his hood. Ira seemed faintly surprised at Master's vivid blue eyes, but didn't seem any less eager. "Would you teach me?" he demanded, full of anxious energy.

"Tell me something first," Master said, gesturing for Ira to sit beside him. "Why do you want to leave?"

The weight of those words seemed to rock into Ira, and the youth sat, settling easily into the sand. He took a minute to respond, glancing at the kids nearby, and then out at the ocean.

"Nobody here wants to." The youth finally said. "Nobody talks about it. They don't ask _where do you want to go to college?_ or _what do you want to be when you grow up?_ because everyone already knows. He's going to be a fisherman, like his dad. She's going to own the grocery store, like her mom. We're all going to be sailors, just like everybody else."

Master said nothing, but looked back at the waves too. It didn't seem to be the worst existence. This place was safe, and whole. It felt eternal, and self-contained. An entire world, made of ocean and sand and contentment.

"And it makes me _insane_." Ira continued, and his voice had turned bitter. "How can they not want to go beyond the horizon? How can they be _fine_ with the same beach, with the same people and the same life?"

Ira locked eyes with him. "I'll do anything to get out of here. There's so much to learn, to do, out there. I just know it."

"It's not all good," Master said, softly. As the sun slowly sank, the nighttime rose to replace it, slowly making the sky behind them grow darker and darker. It wasn't scary, nor was it foreboding, but Master's stomach was still sinking. "Things come that you don't expect. You think you have it figured out, and then suddenly you've forgotten that the world isn't just light. That what's to come might be destroyed."

"But at least it's not _this_." Ira leaned forward, seemingly unphased. Master looked back at him, thinking of the murky place that lay far ahead of him and his other apprentices, that place that seemed so far away but drew closer and closer with every passing day.

Even though he had always known that Ira would come with him, Master was faintly surprised at the boy's eagerness.

Or maybe it wasn't surprise. Just a few years ago, Master would've been thrilled at a response like this. Yet another easy solution, yet another apprentice added to his group so that Master could make the future. But now, sometimes, Master thought about just what was coming. Or rather, he thought about the fact that he didn't exactly know what was coming. What he had Seen wasn't always enough. And from the things he had Seen… Master thought of that barren landscape that dotted his infrequent dreams, that place of desert and dust and death. They were getting closer and closer to that. Master tried to deny how he felt something like fear when he thought about that time.

And yet here Ira was, just as eager to begin as Master once would have been.

Master glanced back at the setting sun. There was still plenty of light left in the day, and even as the night fell, pinprick stars were beginning to appear.

He stood, still looking up at the sky. He couldn't make decisions now just based on one image of darkness, on the murky place that was filled with uncertainty—because that was what it was, when it came down to it. Master just hadn't Seen much of it, and what he had didn't make sense. For all Master knew, everything would end up fine. And even if it didn't… It would still come to pass. He couldn't stop it.

"Well, whaddya say, Ira?" The boy stood, too, even though he obviously did not know his new name. "Let's go get that 'Not-Here.'"

Master locked eyes with the boy again, the youth's determination increasing his own.

But just at that moment, a flicker came across his face. Master saw him hesitate, and glance away—no, _behind_ him.

And Master Saw why a second later.

For one second, Master just saw a bubbly, bouncy young girl, with a sunshine smile and the brightest gaze Master had ever seen. In the next, he also Saw a young woman, hiding her immense skill behind kind smiles, with lively eyes that could see the potential in wielders and kindness in everyone.

 _Ava_.

He'd never Seen how or when he would pick up his youngest apprentice. He had always known it would be shortly after Ira, because he had never Seen one without the other.

And yet here she was, in the same bright world as Ira, drawn toward her own destiny at the same time he was.

Ava had been playing nearby this whole time, and Master had never glanced over at her to see it for himself. But she seemed to have understood what was going on, and had abandoned her playmate to step closer to Ira. "A-are you leaving?" She asked him, eyes wide and voice still bright even as it wavered with sadness. After she spoke, Ava looked at Master himself, smiling slightly in greeting, unblinking at the sight of his eyes.

Ira knelt down next to her, looking back and forth between her and Master. "Aethra, you know I always wanted to. You know it isn't because of you, or the home, or anything."

Ava wasn't teary-eyed, but she was pouting, still looking at Master and not at Ira. And Master had Seen that pout before—it wasn't true grief, as it looked on the outside.

Master couldn't contain a smile.

That was Ava's _thinking_ _pout_. And Master now knew that he had nothing to worry about.

"Where are you going?" She asked, finally looking back to Ira. The youth struggled for words, as though he felt he had to justify his own choice without hurting her feelings. But Master walked over before he could speak and answered for him. "Ira here is coming with me to be a Keywielder and protect people. It's a very hard job, and it means he'll have to train with me for many years. But when he's older, he'll be able to help lots and lots of people."

Both Ira and Ava looked at him in awe as he spoke.

"Can I come?" Ava asked, and Master smiled wider.

"What?" Ira grabbed her shoulder, as though he could gauge her genuineness by peering into her eyes. But the girl just grinned at him.

After a second of stunned silence, Ira shook his head as though clearing it of cobwebs. Then he stood, facing Master once again, and stuck out a hand for the girl at his side. Ava stood up taller, and took his hand, looking at Master too.

And just like that, Master knew he had his apprentices secured. "I'm glad you're as excited for that future as I am," Master said, and pulled his hood up, glancing one last time at the beautiful sky. The darkness of the night mixed with the fading reds of sunset and it looked too perfect, as if someone had thrown up a painting against the horizon. He also knew that the same mix of colors could be seen from the parapets of the clock castle where Invi, Gula, and Luxu waited for them. All across the worlds, that same blend of light and dark graced the sky. Master thought for a fleeting second about how no matter how many sunsets and sunrises he'd Seen, they always managed to look different.

"Let's go," Master said, sticking out his hand to grab Ava's empty hand.

 _If I hadn't Seen things like this coming, maybe that means the things I haven't Seen in the future will be just as good._

/

Luxu somehow managed to top his surprised expression from when Master had brought Gula to the castle when the boy found Master with two new figures at his side. "Invi! Gula! Master brought new friends!" He yelled up the stairs, and then bounded out to meet them. Luxu grabbed Ira's hand and shook it enthusiastically, even as Ira drew back slightly in surprise at his boldness. "I'm Luxu! Great to meet'cha!" He held out a hand for Ava, too, and after a second, the girl shook his hand as well, at first hesitant, but seemingly becoming bolder as Luxu's excitement wore off on her.

"This is Ira and Ava," Master told him, even as the two glanced up in surprise at him. "Uh, my name is Candor," Ira began, but Master and Luxu shook their heads at the same time.

"We all got new names when we came here," Luxu explained, gesturing behind him as Invi and Gula came into view too. "What was your old name?" Ava asked, quietly, and Luxu frowned slightly. "Hmm… You know, I don't remember." But then Invi and Gula walked up, introducing themselves to the newcomers too, and Luxu's face fell back into a smile.

"Ira, Ava, welcome to your new home. I already know which rooms you'll be in, and if I Saw right," Master glanced at the kitchen window to confirm that the light above the table was on, "you're just in time for dinner."

"We actually _did_ need those six plates," Invi said, looking up at Master. He could see the way her eyes crinkled at the corners and knew she was smiling at him. Master winked at her under the hood and tapped her nose. "I'm always right. Just sometimes off by a few hours."

Luxu led the way toward the kitchen, having grabbed Ava's hand and talking excitedly about the castle and the fun they had planned. Invi tagged along beside, her quiet voice interjecting sometimes—Master had Seen how she would immediately attach herself to Ava, finally with another girl apprentice.

Gula turned and headed that way too, but Master turned the opposite direction. He should probably clean out his experiments from Ira's room before the youth got in there. It probably wouldn't be great if, on his first night, Ira accidentally touched one of the electric gummi blocks Master was making and got electrocuted.

But before he could make it there, Ira's voice stopped him. "Uh, mister…"

Master spun back around. The youth looked vaguely sheepish, and though he had taken a few steps toward the kitchen with the others, he had stopped before entering.

For a second, Master was confused, but then he chuckled and shook his head. "It occurs to me I never introduced myself." He strode over, and clapped the youth on the shoulder. "I'm the Master of Masters. It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Ira."

Ira blinked at him for another minute—Master knew the boy would take a while to get used to his new name, but would eventually accept it—and then smiled. "Master. I can't thank you enough for bringing me here. I didn't think I'd ever get out."

Master considered this for a moment. The response he usually would've given—something about _just your luck that destiny turns out the way it does_ —seemed… lackluster. Ira had this habit of constantly believing him. Ira was easily the most obedient of his apprentices, besides maybe Aced. Master thought about the place Ira had just left. He'd probably had enough of destiny for a while, so Master probably should give him something closer to a real response.

"It's not just you that's thankful," Master eventually said. "Finally getting you guys here is something I've been wanting for a long time too."

Master had Seen how, in a few days, Ira would put together all Master's odd mannerisms and directly ask him if he could see the future. Even Invi had been confused at Master's odd statements and foreknowledge til he'd told her about his Sight. But Ira seemed to inspect every sentence that came out of his mouth, on-guard for information and guidance. Ava, on the other hand, never even suspected anything strange until Gula told her sometime about the time Master had known about Luxu's peanut allergy before Luxu himself did. "You'd better get inside," Master shook himself out of memories of his visions, and lightly shoved Ira toward the kitchen, "Before Gula eats all the biscuits. That kid won't let bread out of his sight."

Even as he spoke, Master heard Invi's voice, raised in admonishment "Gula! We have to share those with our new friends! Don't eat them all."

Ira grinned at him, moving towards the door again. But he stopped once more and glanced back. "Aren't you going to eat?"

Master _psh-aw_ ed the motion with a wave of his hand. "I've gotta make your room fit for human habitation."

And he turned around and headed into the castle, before Ira could reply.

From the kitchen, even as Master winded through the twisting hallways, he could hear the bubbling conversation of 5/6ths of his apprentices. They were already getting along great. Just as he had known they would.

/

It took him until after night had completely taken over the sky to finish cleaning Ira's room. But after that, and after seeing that the kitchen was dark and void of raucous conversation, Master stretched and started making his way to his own bed. The day had been a complete success, as far as he was concerned.

But before Master could make it to his tower room, he was confronted by Luxu. The kid, rubbing at his eyes, was standing by a window in the tower. He looked up as Master came into view, and stepped close to tug on the hem of his coat. "Master, she's crying."

"Who?"

"Uh-Ava!" Luxu said, fumbling to remember her name. He crossed to the window, pointing.

And so Ava was. Huddled in the courtyard, far enough away from the rest of the castle not to be heard by any of the others' rooms, underneath a tree that looked vaguely similar to one which could have grown on those islands which Master had just plucked her and Ira from.

"Go to sleep, little Lu. I'll take care of her." Luxu looked up at him, as if he were trying to decide whether or not to trust him. But after letting loose an enormous yawn, Luxu nodded and headed down to his room.

The trip down to the courtyard was quiet, the castle seemingly slumbering. When he glanced up at the windows from the grass, none of the lights remained on. It was just him and Ava left awake.

"What's wrong, little one?" He pulled his hood back, kneeling there beside her underneath the tree. He never liked to See Ava cry. None of them could ever stand it when she got a wobbly lip and her eyes grew wide and wet. Ira and Aced were known to stop mid-argument if Ava got too upset by their harsh words. As such, Master was well used (or at least, _would_ become well used) to comforting her. He knew she was not overly emotional, but she felt more strongly than the other foretellers, except for maybe Luxu.

He did not expect her to say, "I, I miss my stuffed animals."

"Your… stuffed animals?" Master repeated, and was hit once again by the realization that Ava, right now, wasn't any older than Luxu or Gula was. None of them were the bouncy youths yet, who caught on quickly to lessons and could be reasoned with. Ira and Invi were old enough that Master could get by treating them as though they were the Masters he Saw often. But not so the younger three, and especially not this one, on her first night here.

Ava sniffed, meeting his eyes and shaking her head urgently. "I don't want to go back there! I like it here, lots! I just… I just miss my stuffed animals. I always sleep with them."

Suppressing a smile, knowing it would offend her, Master put a hand on her head. "Maybe we can ask Ira to take you tomorrow."

Ava shook her head again. "He's never gonna go back."

"What makes you say that?" As far as Master had ever Seen, that was true, but he wasn't naïve enough to believe he'd Seen 100% of what his apprentices got up to over their lives.

Wiping the tears away and pulling her knees closer to her chest, Ava explained, "Ca—I mean, Ira… He never liked it there. He's always wanted to leave. Now that he has, I know that he won't ever go back."

And with that said, Ava scooted closer to Master, and wrapped her little arms around him.

For a second, Master didn't know to react. She was still crying, a little, and her arms were like a vice around his midsection.

But then, subconsciously, Master's hand came back to rest on her head, and he smoothed her hair down in slow motions.

The night was cold, and Master realized that she didn't have a coat in the castle at all. Master blinked, and Saw that in the morning he would find Ava already wearing one of Invi's spare skirts. He would have to go and buy wardrobes for both her and Ira—and they would stop by the bookstore on the way back, to start Ira's library. Ira was going to love the books which Master already owned, but his own collection, amassed over the years until he was a Master himself, would always be Ira's favorite. And Ava, as soon as he started taking her on missions with him, would start her habit of collecting keepsakes.

But for tonight, for right now… Master could make this better too. He'd never Seen this moment, but he knew what he should do.

"Ava," Master said, once her shaking had quieted. She shifted, and then a moment later sat fully up. Her tears were mostly dried, but her mouth was still downturned. "Would it make you feel better if we went back to the Islands, really quick, and grabbed a few of your stuffed animals?"

Her mouth opened in a perfect _O_ , and nodded.

So Master stood, and extended a hand to her.

Ava bit her lip. "If Ira knew I went back, he would feel bad for taking me here."

Master made a _shushing_ motion. "We'll keep it a secret."

After a second of consideration, Ava accepted his hand and stood.

But she didn't start walking after him, when he moved to summon a portal. She just stood there, with one hand still outstretched… and her other hand came up, looking up at him expectantly.

 _Oh, right._ Luxu had done this a lot, too, when he was younger. "Aren't you too big for this?" Master asked, but he lifted her up anyway.

Her arms came around his neck as if they'd done this a thousand times. "Nuh-uh. I'm not double digits yet! When I'm ten, I'll be too old." Master _hmm_ ed, unsure of this logic (especially given Ava's future propensity for climbing on Aced's shoulders at the slightest chance), but he didn't say anything.

"And, hey, Ava," Master said, as he summoned the portal. "Ira didn't take you here. I did."

She titled her head at him, as they passed through the magic together. "But I wanted to come."

He met her eyes. "Then I didn't take you either. You came, on your own."

It took her a second of contemplating this, but then she smiled a sunshine smile back. "I did!"

They were back on that sandy beach, the starlight glittering off the waves in endless repetitions, the moon sitting heavily overhead. The wind blew stronger here than in Daybreak Town, and Master held Ava closer when she shivered. "Where's your old house?"

He followed her directions to a building which was labelled _Destiny Orphanage_. The place wasn't rundown, but it certainly didn't look like a home either. There weren't any lights on. They went around the back together, Master exaggerating his steps to make it look like he was sneaking, and Ava had to cover her giggles.

Her windows were open. Inside, Master could see a bunkbed, only one mattress of which was made, and a few scattered belongings. It didn't look anything like the bright, overstuffed, plush room which Master had Seen would be Ava's.

He set her down inside, but held her back before she could rush to her bed, "You can only pick six, okay?" She would get many more soon, and he knew the mess which her room would become. It was better to only bring a few.

She nodded and went to carefully sort through the varied stuffed animals and dolls in a box next to her bed. Master glanced outside, at the rustling palm trees.

The sound of crickets was drowned out by the waves, and the wind here was softer than at the beach, playing with his dark hair. He'd forgotten to pull his hood up before taking Ava here. It had been a long time since he'd spent any significant time with his face exposed. It was a different feeling. He couldn't make secret smiles or roll his eyes without someone noticing. Not that he had to do that often around his apprentices, but it was still different. It was… nice.

But whenever Master Saw himself in the future, he always wore the hood up. So Master reached back and tugged the hood back on, feeling the edges catch the wind, almost as though the breeze wanted him to keep it off too.

Then he heard a muffled _thump_ from behind him, and turned to check on Ava. She was successfully balancing the prescribed six stuffed animals in her arms, but one had fallen out of her back pocket. She looked guiltily up at him. "I couldn't leave him behind too…"

It was a little lion, his mane black and his eyes a deep blue. His stitched mouth looked kind of like a frown.

Wordlessly, Master picked up the lion for her and ruffled her hair. "Let's go home, okay?"

Ava smiled again, that smile that warmed him in spite of the wind. "Let's go!"

...

* * *

 **A/N:** yikes i did not mean to not update this for like half a year

sorry friends, college kicked me in the butt last semester and i barely survived (also this is 2x as long as any of the other chapters in this series and i did not realize that that meant it would take 3x as long to write)

.

Cool facts:

Each of the foretellers are assigned an animal (mask), representing the seven deadly sins from the book the Ancrene Wisse; Except Luxu and Master, the former of which would be a scorpion based on his name. Pride, which is the only remaining trait out of the names of the foretellers (and therefore is probably Master's "sin"), is signified by a lion.

I really like the idea of Ira setting the trend that Xehanort and Riku followed, growing up on Destiny Islands but always wanting to go beyond the horizon. I think Ira and Ava became legends of some sort, the first kids to ever leave and never come back, off to something magical and unknown.

As with the other foretellers, I gave Ira and Ava Latin names for their original names. Ira's name is _Candor_ , meaning _honesty_ or _purity_ , and Ava's is _Aethra_ , which can be translated as _brightness_ , or a _bright sky_.

Also I headcanon Ava as an orphan, but I think Ira had an absent father. Master probably didn't need to convince him to let Ira come with him, and Ira honestly was happy to leave the guy.

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thank you all so much for reading! again i'm so sorry for the delay in getting this posted. but i really appreciate you all taking time to read this!

come yell at me on my tumblr, at literally-in-too-many-fandoms! I post headcanons about these forteller kiddos but also about other kingdom hearts things!

(the final chapter is coming sometime but i have literally no clue when it'll be up because i used up all my motivation to write this, also i have maybe 0.03% of the idea of aced's chapter sooooooo... sorry in advance for the wait)


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